Music Challenge
by Garnet Seren
Summary: Original prompt from the KinkMeme. Randomising my music playlist, I take a song and base a scene around it. There's no continuous story, and there's multiple pairings/friendships/storylines. Inspiration is stated at the end on each chapter in the author notes. Chapter 3 has adult themes. FYI written in UK English, not US.
1. If You Really Want to - Garrus & FemShep

**If You Really Want To **(Garrus & FemShep)

Garrus stood pacing outside Shepard's quarters. He knew Horizon had been hard on her, spirits... it had been hard on all the team, with the collectors abducting half the colony. But he had a feeling that the commander's reunion with Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, had been one of the hardest moments during the entire mission for her. Garrus had some inkling that Shepard and Alenko had been close aboard the SR1. Scuttlebutt had it that they had been intimately close before Shepard's… disappearance. Those two years, the two years that she had been gone, were hard on _all_ the old crew. Tali and Liara had been inconsolable, Joker had been eaten up with guilt, and he himself had completely gone off the rails... as humans liked to say. But the elation of seeing Shepard alive, and mostly herself, had outweighed any of the misgivings Garrus had about Cerberus. They had given him his best friend back, so he could overlook their anti-alien agenda if it meant working alongside Shepard again.

However, Kaidan hadn't seemed that happy to see her, at all.

An angry growl threatened to escape, as Garrus remembered standing by Shepard's side, through all of Alenko's accusations. He had tried to defend her, when the marine's hurtful words had become an all out vicious, verbal assault. He had seen the almost imperceivable cracks show on the Commander's normally impassive face. He'd noticed the slight hitch of breath, and the small waver in her voice as, she'd said goodbye to their former team mate. Her former lover...

_'How the spirits can he say he loves her, then call her a traitor?'_ Garrus wondered.

"Garrus, stop hovering outside my cabin and get your bony butt inside," Shepard's called through the metal door.

Her voice startled him, and he was glad she couldn't hear the surprise in his subharmonics. After a moment's hesitation, Garrus entered her cabin. His keen eyesight immediately fell to the smashed holoframe that lay on the floor, a cracked image of Kaidan flickered at him. He was sorely tempted to kick it, just for spite, but he doubted Shepard would appreciate the gesture. Instead Garrus shook his head, before lifting his gaze to his Commander and best friend. Shepard sat propped up against the headboard of her bed, her knees tucked up to her chin, and head buried in her hands. His sensitive nose picked up the faint smell of salt, as his ears caught the faint tremor of her breath.

_'Spirits, she's been crying!'_

Without thinking, he approached the bed and sat down beside her. Suddenly, with no warning, Shepard almost threw herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she lay her forehead against the rim of his cowl. For a moment, Garrus was at a loss, too stunned to move. Even since he had joined her crew, the two of them had been close, but they were never the touchy-feely type of friends, not like she was with Tali or Liara. He wracked his brain, but to no avail. His extensive training had never covered 'how to comfort your extremely emotional, usually completely composed, human commanding officer'. Garrus felt completely out of his depth, but he figured that perhaps tactics he had used to comfort Solana when they were children might help. Cautiously, Garrus wrapped his arms around Shepard's waist, nearly baulking when he realised how slender it was.

"I'm sorry Garrus, I just… feel so alone," she stuttered, between sobs.

Garrus nodded in understanding. "After all the changes you've been through today, it's understandable. You could just use a little tenderness right now."

Gently, he rubbed her back in a way he hoped she found comforting. However, Shepard pulled back from their embrace slightly, her green eyes were tear-filled, as she looked up at him through her lashes. Unable to help himself, Garrus ran a taloned hand gently through her short red… fringe? Hair? He couldn't quite remember, but he hoped it wasn't considered rude in human culture. Carefully, Garrus stroked her damp cheek with the back of his other hand, a single talon caressing her cool skin and wiping the moisture of her tears away. Garrus swallowed, hoping it wasn't as audible to Shepard as it was to him.

_'When did I become attracted to my best friend?'_ he wondered.

"You know, he sent me a stupid email," she told him.

A weak smile formed on her lips, and Garrus tilted his head, wanting her to continue.

"Apparently apologising for the way he reacted on Horizon," Shepard explained. "He told me he'd moved on since I… _disappeared_. Still, it just felt like more accusations. At the end of it, he even put: 'When things settle down a little... maybe... I don't know'. Seriously what the hell is that supposed to mean? 'Sorry I don't trust you or want you right now, but I'm not going to really set you free, just in case I change my mind'. Stupid ass!"

Garrus flared his mandibles in a slight grin. _'Least her normal fire is still burning underneath the hurt'  
><em>  
>"You know, Shepard, it's up to you how long you let his memory stay. Do you really want to carry on this way?" he asked.<p>

Tenderly, he talon wiped away another errant tear that escaped her eye and rolled down her pale cheek. Shepard shook her head, before burying her face back into his chest. Garrus tightened his hold on the commander, pulling her closer to him. His newly realised feelings were making the situation more difficult, it was hard to be objective. In truth, he wanted to growl in frustration, in anger. Especially as her slender shoulders began to shudder with the effort of repressed sobs.

_'Kaidan isn't worth your tears'_ he nearly shouted.

"I don't know what I'd do without you Garrus," Shepard murmured. "I'm so glad you're here, I couldn't do any of this without you."

He looked down at the woman in his arms, and before his rational mind got the better of him, Garrus pulled Shepard fully into his lap. As difficult as it was with his bulky armour, their bodies pressed together.

"Sure you could, just not as stylishly," he told her.

That earned him a laugh, which was so good to hear. He liked her laugh. Shepard must have been uncomfortable with how they were sitting, for she was soon shifting her weight. However, it wasn't until she had finished moving, that Garrus realised Shepard was sat straddled across his thighs. Once again, he found it difficult to swallow past the lump forming in his throat. She looked up at him then, through her lashes, as her fingers gently ran along his scared mandible. He felt the urge to turn away from Shepard's gaze, from her touch. Despite his jokes about some women finding scars attractive, Garrus knew his face was a mangled mess. Beyond any reasonable aesthetic repair, thanks to the Blue Suns and their spirits-damned rocket. He was embarrassed by the level of attention she was paying to his injury, though he still wished he could feel her gentle touch. A wish that the nerve-damaged plates and skin would not comply.

_'How can she stand to touch it?'_

"I thought I'd lost you," Shepard whispered.

Her gaze was following the path her fingers took, and her eyes were filling with new tears. Ones that Garrus quickly realised were for him, for his near death experience. He resisted the protective growl that threatened to rumble in his throat. He hadn't even known she had been that worried about him, it was a revelation that left him feeling a little reckless and daring.

_'You're crazy for even considering this'_ his brain told him. He ignored it.

"Shepard, there's um… spirits,' he began. "So many things you need to know, so many left to say…"

_'Smooth Garrus!'_ his brain taunted.

"I don't have a human fetish, but this isn't about that, it's about us."

He noticed Shepard raise an eyebrow at him. It was a human quirk of hers, that Garrus had long found adorable, but he still hadn't a clue what it meant.

_'Great, now you've insulted her and she's going to laugh in your face'_ his brain jeered.

"I can help you chase the pain away," he mumbled.

He shut his eyes, unable to look at her, waiting for the inevitable laughter. However, Shepard's small hand started to stroke his unscarred mandible.

"Garrus?" she questioned, her tone soft.

He turned his head slightly, nuzzling into her palm. "You know, if you really want to."

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>  
><strong>**The inspiration song is If You Really Want To by Meatloaf, and the reference of the smashed picture is actually from the music video for the song.**


	2. Don't Stand So Close - Adams & Tali

**Don't Stand so Close to Me **(Tali & Adams)

"Your ship's amazing, Shepard. I've never seen a drive core like this before. I can't believe you managed to fit it into ship this small. I'm starting to see why you humans are so successful, I had no idea Alliance ships were _this_ advanced," the young quarian gushed.

"They're not all like this Tali, the Normandy is a prototype, cutting edge technology," the commander explained.

"Last month, I was patching a makeshift fuel line in a converted tug ship in the flotilla, now I'm aboard one of the most advanced ships in Citadel space. I have to thank you again for bringing me along, travelling on a ship like this, is a dream come true for me," the quarian continued.

Commander Shepard gave a friendly laugh. "I had no idea you found ship technology so interesting."

"It comes with being a quarian. The migrant fleet is the key to the survival of my people, ships are our most valuable resource, but we don't have anything like this. We make do with cast-offs and second hand equipment. We just try to keep them running just as long as we can," the girl explained.

Engineer Greg Adams couldn't help but smile at the conversation the two women were having. It was nice to have someone as enthusiastic as he was in engineering... human, quarian or otherwise. Though, if he was honest, Greg was concerned what a seemingly nice young woman like Tali was doing spending _all_ her time in engineering. He was worried she was being excluded by the younger members of the crew, and was rather affronted by the notion. As he noticed Commander Shepard about to leave, he hurried to catch up with her, deciding it best to speak with his CO about his concerns.

"Hey Commander," he called. "You know Tali has been spending all her time down here, asking me questions about our engines."

"I'll tell her to leave you be, let you work," she replied.

"What? No. She's amazing."

Greg mentally kicked himself, as his mouth answered before his brain had time to think. It was then that he noticed the commander raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk playing on her lips. Realisation dawned that she was playing with him, perhaps it was even a test, and Greg laughed despite himself.

"I wish my guys were half as smart as she is," he admitted. "Give her a month on board, and she will know more about our engines than I do. She's got a real knack for technology, that one. I can see why you wanted her to come along."

"I figured she'd be a real asset to the team," Commander Shepard told him.

"You got an eye for talent, commander," he conceded.

His CO patted him on the arm in a friendly gesture. "Just keep an eye on her. Let me know if any of the other crew give her a hard time."

He saluted, happy to be of assistance. "Of course, ma'am."

So to XO Pressly's annoyance, and with Commander Shepard's blessing, Greg spent the next morning showing the young Tali'Zorah how to read the drive core outputs. The scene was small, which forced them to stand shoulder to shoulder as he explained. He had been oblivious to their closeness, right up until the third: "oh, very cosy" comment. Then Greg had realised, and as he had turned to look at his young companion, he found himself nose to mask with her. The two of them had laughed it off, thinking nothing more of it. Until lunch time…

Without hesitation... or invitation, Pressly had sat next to him in the mess hall. "Apart from being a quarian, that girl is half your age," he had hissed.

Adam's stared at the other man in surprise. _'What the hell is he talking about?' _he wondered.

* * *

><p>Tali had been enjoying her first week on the Normandy. She was still a little nervous around most of the crew. Garrus had been good to her, sharing his more enticing dextro supplies with her, so she wasn't left eating nutrient paste for every meal. Commander Shepard had also been extremely nice to her. She had given Tali a full tour of the ship on her first day aboard, and even gave her official access to the engines. Tali was delighted. She liked the commander a great deal, and could see the other woman becoming an older sister to her... in time.<p>

She also liked Engineer Adams. The older man reminded her a lot of Uncle Molan; Aunty Raan's late husband. Tali had been surprised that another human had been so welcoming of her, it wasn't something she had ever experienced before, from any race. But Engineer Adams had been kind enough to spend the week teaching Tali how the Normandy's engines worked. Just that morning, he had been explaining the drive core output readings to her. It was something she was very grateful for, as Tali knew it would allow her to become more of an asset to Commander Shepard's crew.

There had been nothing to indicate anything was unusual, that day. Well... up until lunch time had come, that is. Making her way to the mess hall, in order to grab a sachet of nutrient paste, one of the other young engineers had hissed: "Teacher's pet", as she walked by. Tali had no idea what that meant, so she decided to push it to the back of her mind for now. Though she fully intended on asking either Adams or Shepard about it the next time she saw either of them, sure one of them come explain.

* * *

><p>There had been an unscheduled staff meeting called for all senior Alliance personnel that evening. So at nineteen hundred hours, Greg found himself seated to the commander's left, looking directly at a very red faced Pressly. At first, he had no idea what the meeting was about, assuming it was just to relay some new orders from the brass, however it quickly transpired that was not the case. Anger was bubbling up inside him as he listened to the blatant lies that his one time friend was spouting. He knew Pressly was xenophobic, but this was ridiculous.<p>

"It is evident that Lieutenant Gregory Adams is having indecent relations with that... quarian," the navigation officer spat.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, almost shaking with rage.

"Are you sure? We've both known Greg for a number of years, Charles. Do you have any proof?" Doctor Karin Chakwas interjected, on his behalf.

Despite the anger, Greg took a moment to give a nod of silent thanks to Karin. They had known each other since the academy, and it was nice to know at least one old friend still had his back. After this, he doubted his friendship with Pressly would ever recover.

"Several members of engineering have reported interactions that could be seen as fraternization," Pressly replied, handing a datapad to the commander.

A few minutes past in silence as Shepard read over the report, and despite knowing that nothing untoward had happened, Greg found himself holding his breath.

"I see," the commander said at last. "I'm sorry but this report fails to highlight any inappropriate behaviour on either Adams' or Tali's part. What it _does_ highlight to me, is that a ship the size of the Normandy is the perfect breading ground for rumours that have no place on _my_ ship."

She paused, critically eyeing all the gathered personnel in turn, save for himself and Karin.

"Now, I want to make this perfectly clear... I have asked Lieutenant Adams, as head of engineering, to personally mentor Tali'Zorah nar Rayya during her time on board. He has my _full_ authority to reprimand any subordinates that give her a hard time, as well as the required duty of informing me of any _officers_ who, likewise, make her time on board harder than it needs to be. Do I make myself clear?"

The commander paused again, almost glaring at the now embarrassed looking crew.

"Good. This meeting is now dismissed."

* * *

><p>It was edging into the night shift when Adams returned to engineering. Behind her mask, Tali smiled at him in greeting. She had a stack of datapads she wanted him to look over, mostly containing her calculations on increasing various system performances. Without hesitation she bounded up to him, full of her usual enthusiasm, and her head filled with algorithms and projection vectors.<p>

"Such a teacher's pet." Was muttered somewhere to her right.

It seemed Adams had heard it too, for he had stopped in his tracks. His brow furrowed as he shook his head. Tali looked at him questioningly, her bright eyes shining through the purple polycarbonate of her mask. He patted her companionably, on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Tali. It's just narrow minded people making rumours." He paused, looking thoughtful. "Though perhaps from now on, maybe you shouldn't stand so close to me."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Note<strong>**  
>Inspired by Don't Stand So Close to Me by The Police. I always thought Adams &amp; Tali had a sort of MentorStudent relationship, but that some could take his praise for the young Tali in a different way.**


	3. Love is Suicide - Feron, Tazzik & Liara

**A/N: Warning of dark themes centring on imprisonment and torture. NOT for young readers.**

* * *

><p>The only sound that filled the dank room was the sound of his own ragged breathing.<br>No light penetrated the cell. He lay, bloodied and bruised, on the filthy, blood stained floor. The cold of the metal seeping into his battered body, and pain tightening it's vice-like grip, as his shivering jostled the multitude of broken bones.  
>With each tentative and painful breath, the acerbic smell of his own blood clawed at his nostrils. The odour roiled his empty stomach, dry heaves had him biting back a shuddering sob.<br>He didn't know how long he had lain there, time had lost all meaning to him.  
>Trapped in the torture factory that was the bowels of the Shadow Broker's ship, time was only measurable in periods of torture, humiliation, fear, and broken sobs.<p>

With rising panic, he could hear footstep reverberating along the corridor before stopping outside the door of his cell.  
>His breathing quickened, as fear took hold, forcing him to choke another sob as his shattered ribs screamed in protest.<br>Blinding light flooded his vision, his sensitive eyes watering in pain and protest. He tried to bury his head into the crook of an arm.

Cold laughter drowned out the sound of his erratic breathing.  
>The toe of a steel tipped boot forced him sharply onto his back, before the weight of a heavy foot crushed down on his already broken wrist.<br>A scream ripped from his throat, causing his assailant to laugh harder.

"What a lovely greeting from you, on this fine morning," leered the Shadow Broker's enforcer.  
>The freakishly large salarian dropped to a crouch, trapping his damaged wrist with an armoured knee. Tazzik's other knee made crushing contact with his sternum, pinning him in place for whatever violence the salarian desired to do to him.<br>He struggled to gulp in air, as the cool, flat surface of a knife blade stroked along his cheek frill.  
>"Lucky for you, Feron, the Broker deems your face too pretty to do any permanent damage to," Tazzik jeered. "However, your body is mine."<br>The tip of the blade ghosted down the thin skin of his dewlap, before the biting edge of metal dug into the scales of his torso.

The enforcer's words cut Feron just as deeply as the knife did.  
>Fighting to control the scream that wanted to burst from his throat, tears escaped the corners of his eyes.<br>Desperately, he tried to flee from the pain into solipsism. However, the memory he fell into was less than comforting.

_The blue pulse of biotic energy shimmers in the dimness. I duck, dodging the crate sent flying past my head. Sapphire eyes burn with unconcealed anger. "Who am I to you?" she demands. Her brow furrows with emotion. "Am I the epitome of everything you hate and you desire? You love me like an enemy!"_

The painful bite of the blade dragged him from the memory.  
>"I don't think so, drell." Tazzik sneered. "Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, no escape."<br>The salarian rested more weight on his battered body.  
>"I can guess who you were thinking of. Pathetic. You know that blue whore never wanted you, but why would she? What would she see in a pathetic drell like you? She used you, Feron, then left you to rot here. T'Soni only cares about Shepard, not you."<p>

Tazzik's words were just the right artillery to send fresh tears streaking his blood and grim stained face.  
>He'd long admitted to himself that he had fallen for Liara T'Soni, and thoughts of the beautiful asari had comforted him in the darker hours of his torment, but he had realised too late, when he had already been captured, already become a play thing for Tazzik's sadistic pleasures.<br>Another slash of the knife across his chest, and a savage boot into his abdomen sent the pain into unbearable levels.  
>As consciousness slipped from his grasp, he thought: <em>'Love is suicide'<em>.

* * *

><p>The welcomed emptiness of unconsciousness, merged into an unpleasant, hazy jumble of thoughts.<br>His once sharp mind now studiously dissected every mistake he had ever made. Mostly focusing on how he had betrayed Liara, his double dealing for both the Shadow Broker and Cerberus, for letting Tazzik get away from Omega with Shepard's body before tracking him to Alingon, for not being able to tell Liara how he felt about her.  
>The mental torture his brain subjected himself to, was sharply replaced with the crushing pain of his broken wrist was seized in a vice-like grip.<br>He sobbed into full awareness, as he was hauled upright.

"Nice of you to wake up, sleeping beauty," Tazzik laughed. "Wouldn't want you to miss your weekly outing now, would we?"

The sneer on the salarian's face made him look like an animal, and Feron's eyes widened in fear, as the horror of the words sank in.  
>There was a time, when he would have been disgusted with the pitiful whimpers that escaped him, but that had long since past. He didn't need the biting pain of the surgical scalpel removing the small scales from his tender wrists to know what was in store for him, the agony it would bring.<p>

After what seemed like hours to him, Tazzik finally seemed satisfied with the amount of raw flesh that had been exposed from the methodical removal of his scales.  
>Any relief that the 'procedure' was over was short lived.<br>Tazzik backhanded him, sending him sprawling in a broke heap on the floor. He blinked back tears, trying to block out the throbbing pain in his jaw.

"You stink, filthy drell. Better get you cleaned up before your outing," Tazzik goaded.

Feron braced himself for the icy sting of water that usually followed that remark.  
>It was one of the more inventive torments Tazzik had thought up.<br>The blast of ice cold water would cause a volatile reaction to his reptilian ancestry, the shivering that followed it would aggravating the unrepaired broken bones of his body, making him howl in agony.  
>This time was different, rough fibres surrounded his neck.<br>_'A rope'_ he realised in alarm.

"Don't worry, drell, it's just to make sure you don't move," the broker's enforcer snarled.

The constriction around his throat tightened.  
>His hyoid bone prevent any actual strangulation, but the restriction on his airways could cause him to pass out, and as blackness began to fill his vision he forced his mind to focus on Liara, to be thankful that she was safe.<br>His mind mused: _'Love is suicide'_

* * *

><p>A vicious electrical jolt ripped him from unconsciousness.<br>His back arched away from the metal of the chair he found himself in. The raw flesh of his wrists straining against the electrode infused bindings that held him captive.  
>As the shockwave subsided, his body fell limply back into the chair. He closed his eyes, head lolling to the side as the effort of holding it upright was too much for his abused body.<br>Counting to ten, he tried to regain control over his ragged breathing. In on the first five counts, exhale on the latter.  
>He was never able to decide whether it was the actual, bullet-like hits to his nervous system or the anguishing wait for the next pulse that made this torture so affective.<p>

Something, a noise, perhaps his name being called, started to pull at his mind.  
><em>'I must be going mad, that sounded like…'<em>  
>His train of thought broke off as the sound repeated itself, pulling him fully from the daze he was in.<p>

"Liara?" he called.  
>His voice strained with agony, barely impacting on the silence of the room.<p>

"Hold on, we're getting you out of here," Liara's voice replied.

His eyes snapped opened and he peered into the gloom.  
>He saw her. Her beautiful face, periwinkle complexion with sapphire eyes.<br>The astonished joy of seeing her was washed away by a wave of dread as he watched her run towards the control panel of the upper room.  
>It was obvious that she intended to release him from his bonds, from the awful electric chair, but he knew if Liara tampered with the controls, it could kill him.<p>

"No!" he tried to shout.  
>His voice was too weak to catch her attention, and the jolt of electricity hit him, hard.<br>It racked his already fragile body with intense pain, an anguished cry ripping from his throat.  
>His weakness shamed him.<p>

As he began to shut his eyes, hoping to hide his feelings, he noticed the other woman who stood with Liara, a petite red haired human.  
>He watched the pair exchange worried looks and felt like a gun's trigger had been pulled, discharging directly into his heart.<br>_'Commander Shepard'_ he marvelled.

"Point us in the direction of the son of a bitch, then we'll break you out of here," the commander quipped.  
>He wanted to laugh at the confident grin that accompanied her remark.<p>

"Central Operations is down the hall. You know the Shadow Broker is waiting for you right?" he managed to tell them.  
>Guilt at needing a rescue crept into his gut, and the effort of talking caused him to gasp agonising pants of breath.<p>

"I'm counting on it," Shepard winked.

"We'll be back for you, Feron," Liara promised, with conviction.  
>Her words burned into his broken body, into his disconnected soul, giving him a small ray of hope.<p>

"I'll try not to go anywhere," he replied.  
>His forced tone was a poor echo of his old dry humour, but he wanted to at least appear strong for her.<p>

Liara gaze lingered on him for several seconds before she disappeared into the shadows along with the commander.  
>To Feron, the look of care, concern and dread in her sapphire eyes had been the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.<br>He rested his head back on the metal of the chair, allowing a small smile to creep onto his lips.  
>Right then, he didn't care if love was suicide.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Inspired by Love is Suicide by Natalia Kills**


	4. A Little Help from My Friends - MShep

It was documented, very well documented in fact, even if you didn't take into consideration the myriad of embarrassing vids the crew had taken at various opportunities throughout the years, that Shepard couldn't dance, not even a simply two step. What wasn't documented, not even by the Shadow Broker herself, was that he was actually a fairly good singer.  
>So it was with some surprise when Donnelly began to hum, during a particularly long standoff between him and Garrus during one of the crew's weekly poker nights, that the Commander took up the tune and began to sing, albeit under his breath, in a rich baritone voice.<p>

"What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?" he muttered melodically.

"Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key," Ken joined in, his broad Scottish accent adding an interesting lilt to the song.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Adams added.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Ashley sang from her spot at the bar.  
>She raised her glass to them, as the guys regarded her.<p>

James gave her his trademark grin.  
>"Mm going to try with a little help from my friends," adding some Latino flare as he stood up to showcase some basic Rumba steps whilst he sang.<p>

Garrus, Liara and Tali all exchanged, one that said: 'Humans are weird', complete bemused by the humans' suddenly breaking out into song.  
>"This is like a really bad vid I had to suffer back at C-Sec, during one of their 'Cultural Bonding' nights, what do the humans call it? A Musical?" Garrus drawled.<p>

"Primitives," Javik muttered angrily, before storming out of the Starboard Observation Lounge, presumably to his quarters down in Engineering.

Ignoring the prothean's outburst, Shepard continued the song, louder than he had before, encouraged by his comrades joining in.  
>"What do I do when my love is away?"<p>

"Does it worry you to be alone?" Joker dueted.

"How do I feel by the end of the day?"

"Are you sad because you're on your own?"

Shepard and Joker's voices complimented each other surprisingly well, and there was a small around of applause from the junior crew members once they finished their lines.

"Is this standard human bonding practice, Jeff?" EDI's asked using her robotic body to address the pilot.

"Yeah, you could say that," Joker smiled, throwing and arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.  
>Despite being an unshackled AI using an ex-Cerberus android's body, EDI had learnt a lot of human characteristics, and snuggled into Joker's loose embrace.<p>

"No I get by with a little help from my friends," Doctor Chakwas sang softly, absentmindedly swirling her Serrice Ice Brandy around her glass as she did.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Adams called back to her, pulling an almost coy smile from the doctor.

"Mm going to try with a little help from my friends," Tali hesitantly joined in, the slight shake to her voice evident even over her voice modulator.  
>There was a chorus of whoops at the quarian's, very commendable, attempt.<p>

"Bien hecho, Sparks," James laughed.

Next, Cortez and Traynor took up the dueted chorus.  
>"Do you need anybody?" Steve sang<p>

"I need somebody to love," Samantha replied.

"Could it be anybody?"  
>Steve opened is arms in a grandiose manner, effectively gesturing around the whole room.<p>

"I want somebody to love"  
>Samantha barely managed to sing her line before it subsided into a fit of giggles.<p>

Beaming at EDI, Joker took up the mantle again.  
>"Would you believe in a love at first sight?" he sang.<p>

"Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time" Shepard returned the duet.  
>He held his hand out to Liara, who blushed an adorable shade of indigo as she went to sit in his lap.<p>

"What do you see when you turn out the light?" Joker continued.

"I can't tell you, but I know it's mine,"  
>Shepard raised a suggestive eyebrow at the asari in his lap as he finished the line.<p>

"Oh, Keelah," Tali exclaimed.  
>Somehow, the quarian had managed to make her sentence sound like a verbal facepalm, earning a wave of laughter from everyone present.<p>

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Diana Allers, unexpectedly, joined in.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Chakwas sang, smiling.

"Oh I'm going to try with a little help from my friends." Ashley replied.  
>The Lieutenant flung a friendly, if not slightly tipsy, arm around the doctor.<p>

"Do you need anybody?" Ken crooned

"I just need somebody to love," Gabby harmonised.

Cheekily, Donnelly grabbed his fellow engineer's hand.  
>"Could it be anybody?"<p>

"I want somebody to love," Gabby practically purred.

"Oh, get a room already," Ashley goaded, a wide grin plastered over her face.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Shepard sang, gently rocking the asari in his lap to the rhythm of the song.

"Mm going to try with a little help from my friends," Liara attempted, easily holding the tune.  
>She was awarded for her efforts with a tight, squeezing hug from Shepard.<p>

"Oh I get high with a little help from my friends," EDI added.  
>The AI's had no problem matching the tempo, and her synthesised voiced had a surprisingly nice quality as she sand.<p>

"Yes I get by with a little help from my friends," Joker replied, his beaming smile getting impossibly wider as he regarded her.

"With a little help from my amigos," James finished, laughing.

"I'm convinced, this is another reaper ploy, that or you've all gone crazy," Garrus stated dryly, shaking his head, though his mandibles were flared in a lopsided turian grin.

"Nothing wrong with being a little loco, Scars," James laughed.

Garrus didn't miss a beat. "You'd know, Jimmy."

"You're a surprisingly good singer," Liara told Shepard.

"Oh, don't sound shocked now," he replied, a mock look of hurt on his face.

Ashley snorted.  
>"Sorry Skipper, but your dancing skills don't lend much confidence."<p>

"Insubordination," Shepard stated, trying to achieve his 'Commander' voice, and failing miserably.

"Dancing? Is that what you call it?" Garrus drawled. "I thought it was a tactical ploy aimed at having the reapers laugh themselves to death."

"Mutiny," the Commander grumbled, trying to hide the laughter in his voice.

"You could be right, even I can dance better, and that's with the two inevitable broken legs," Joker chuckled.

"Why the hell am I friends with you lot?" Shepard asked, feigning annoyance.

"Because you couldn't find anyone else crazy enough to willing go on suicide missions with you," Liara stated calmly.

Shepard nodded, acting like he was considering her words an astounding new revelation.  
>"You have a point," he conceded, before raising his glass of neat whiskey. "To the best bunch of crazies a guy could wish for," he toasted, saluting his friends, knowing he couldn't do any of this without them.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Inspired by the Beatles song 'A Little Help from My Friends' and dedicated to Church-Caboose-Shepard


	5. Drops of Jupiter - Garrus & FemShep

Bathed in the orange glow of the Main Battery, Garrus lay on his cot staring, sightless, up at the ceiling.  
>The ping of his Omni-Tool brought him back from his revere, glancing at the message he soon realised it was from Liara.<p>

_Whilst sorting through redundant memory systems, came across this. Remind you of anyone?  
>Hope all is well.<br>- L_

'This' happened to be a nameless audio file.  
>Intrigued at what the new Shadow Broker had found, Garrus quickly loaded the clip onto his visor, and after a few quick taps, the audio was primed, ready to play.<p>

To his surprise, the file started to play what Garrus presumed was a human piano.

**Now that she's back in the atmosphere, with drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey, hey.  
>She acts like summer and walks like rain, reminds me that there's a time to change, hey, hey, hey.<br>Since the return from her stay on the moon, she listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey, **a human male sang.

He had to admit, the voice sounded nice and the tune was pretty good. Reluctantly, he also had to agree that the lyrics did indeed remind him of someone.  
>Unexpectedly, there was a chime from his door. Checking his Omni-Tool, he realised it was 03:00.<br>_'Spirits, whoever it is, they can damn well go away'_ he grumbled to himself.  
>His door chimed again. Sighing, Garrus swung his legs off his bunk, and shuffled wearily towards the disturbance, the human song still playing through his visor as he went.<p>

But tell me, did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded, and that heaven is overrated?

He paused, shuddering at the song's lyrics, as his mind locking onto the thought of his CO, and best friend, Commander Shepard. The perfect definition of a strong, independent woman, despite the fact she was human.  
>There was no-one in the galaxy that he trusted or respected more, her death aboard the original Normandy had almost destroyed him, her resurrection his only salvation.<p>

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star, one without a permanent scar? And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?

Subconsciously, Garrus' talons began fiddling with the edge of the bandage that covered the right side of his face. He gave a galaxy-weary sigh.  
><em>'Who am I kidding?'<em> he laughed, mirthlessly, at himself.  
>It was more than trust and respect, it was more than comradery and friendship, he had feelings for his human Commanding Officer, and had done for a long time.<p>

'_Not that it matters'_ Garrus thought glumly.

During the mission against Saren, he might have stood a chance. Back then, he could say without being boastful that he was a good looking turian, he'd had a decent, albeit unfulfilling, job with C-Sec and, thanks to Shepard's good word, had been waiting to start his Spectre training.  
>Now he was a failed C-Sec officer. A vigilante with a disfigured face and upper torso, thanks to the Blue Suns rocket that almost killed him.<br>_'I don't stand a chance'_ he reasoned.

A third chime at his door drew his attention again, setting his subharmonics grumbling with tiredness and exhaustion.  
>Reluctantly, he palmed the opening mechanism, and even the mellow song that still played in his ear did nothing to stifle the outburst that he was about to unleash on the inconsiderate idiot who stood on the other side of the door.<p>

As the metal slide open, his gaze settled coolly on the perpetrator. His mandibles flared wide, in shock.

Now that she's back from that soul vacation, tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey, hey.  
>She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo, reminds me that there's room to grow, hey, hey, hey.<p>

In front of him stood Commander Shepard, barefoot and clad in what appeared to be sleep wear, a black sleeveless top and baggy bottoms. Her short red hair tousled and her green eyes wider than usual, she looked haunted.  
>His visor picked up the dilation of her pupils, her elevated heart rate, and her lowered temperature. His eyes picked up her shivering.<br>Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ushered her into the warm glow of the room.

"Spirits, Shepard. What in the name of Palaven is wrong?" he asked, worry humming uncontrolled though his subharmonics.

Wordlessly, she shook her head, and Garrus caught the faint gleam on her cheeks of what he knew were teardrops, before she buried her head into his chest. Her whole body shook with the effort of holding back a sob.  
>He let out a trill of anxiety, never before seeing his strong Commander, his fearless best friend, so shaken. He hadn't a clue as how to comfort her.<p>

After a moment's hesitation he scooped her up, unprotestingly, and carried her to his bed.  
>Settling back against the bulkhead, he tried to arrange her soft body the best he could against his hard angles. Wrapping his blanket around her shoulders and drawing her close to help warm her with his excess body heat, trying to ignore the fact it was only the thin material of her top that separated his bare plates and her skin.<br>Ten, agonising, minutes went by before he tried to brooch the subject again.

"Shepard, what is it? Tell me what's wrong?" he asked, absentmindedly stroking her soft, pale, plateless arm with a bent knuckle.

There was a muffled reply that his translator didn't pick up.  
>Gently, mindful he didn't scratch her with his uncovered talons, he lifted her chin so she faced him.<br>"It was so cold, and lonely," she repeated quietly, without prompting. "The stars are still beautiful, but they're not welcoming anymore."

'_Spirits'_ he almost gasped.  
>To someone else, the Commander might have appeared to be babbling, but Garrus knew better. She'd been dreaming. Dreaming of the destruction of the SR1, of Alchera, of her death.<br>He shuddered, and pulled her close, as much for his comfort as hers.

"I don't want to be alone, not tonight," she muttered sleepily, burying her head back into his chest. "Please let me stay."

'_How could I argue with that? Even if I to'_ he wondered.  
>"You're never alone, Shepard," he soothed, stroking her back in what he hoped human's found a soothing way. "I'm here whenever you need me."<br>He had often wondered what it would be like to hold her, but this was never how he'd imagined it. Despite hating the reason that had brought her here, Garrus couldn't bring himself to complain of the outcome, the feeling of her in his arms, even if she had only sort it out in the name of friendship, was indescribable. He couldn't help but hold her closer.  
>"I've always got you six."<strong><br>**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Inspired by Drops of Jupiter by Train, requested by Emerald Flashes.**


	6. Poison - FemShep & Thane

"_**Your cruel device"**_Snarled a gravelly male voice over the lingering power chord of a guitar. Shepard stepped into the Port Observation Lounge as the doors shut with a quiet whoosh behind her.  
><em>"<em>_**Your blood like ice."**_**  
><strong>She was greeted with the site of Jack and Kasumi lounging on the couches that looked out of the large viewing window.**  
><strong>_**"One look could kill,"**_**  
><strong>Jack's eyes were closed. The woman's head was tilted back and an outstretched foot was tapping to the rhythm the lead guitar was playing.**  
><strong>_**"My pain, your thrill."  
><strong>_And a wicked smile spread across the Biotic's face.  
><em>'Guess the lyrics <em>_**speak**__ to her'_ Shepard mused to herself.

_**"I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)"**_**  
><strong>Once Kasumi's gaze locked onto Shepard's, the thief's eyes sparkled with mischief beneath the dark recesses of her hood.**  
><strong>_**"I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop"**_**  
><strong>In swift, graceful movements the lithe Japanese woman had crossed the short distance between the couch and the bar.**  
><strong>_**"I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)"**_**  
><strong>Shepard barely had time to blink before the thief was by her side, pressing a suspicious looking Martini glass into her hand. **  
><strong>_**"I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison"**_**  
><strong>An impish grin settled on Kasumi's face.  
>"I've told you before Shep, you need to acclimatise yourself."<p>

_**"You're poison runnin' through my veins"  
><strong>_With a theatrical sigh, Shepard sipped the drell venom infused drink. Kasumi had been plying her with these cocktails at every conceivable occasion for the past month.**  
>"You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains."<br>**Jack gave an amused snort over the tempo of the drum.  
>"Dug this song out just for you, Boss-Lady. Thought you'd appreciate it."<em><strong>"Your mouth, so hot"<strong>_**  
><strong>Shepard couldn't help but smile as she thought of the passionate kiss she had shared only moments ago with a certain drell assassin.**  
><strong>_**"Your web, I'm caught"**_**  
><strong>A pillow glanced her left hip.  
>"Normandy to Shepard," laughed Jack. "Get your head out of your knickers and hurry up and get changed."<strong><br>**_**"Your skin, so wet"**_**  
><strong>The Commander raised an eyebrow.  
>"And what is wrong with this?" She gestured to her body, clad in the faux leather dress that she had worn for the mission on Bekenstein. "We're only going to Afterlife, after all."<strong><br>**_**"Black lace on sweat"**_**  
><strong>Kasumi held out an extremely figure hugging dress, one that was suspiciously black and suspiciously made mostly of lace.  
>"This is better. He'll love it," The thief said, giving an exaggerated wink.<p>

* * *

><p>Despite the normal, excessively loud, techno beat something seemed off with the song blaring out of Afterlife.<p>

_**"I hear you callin' and it's needles and pins (and pins)"  
><strong>_Shepard stopped abruptly, the lyrics seemed suspiciously familiar._**  
>"I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name"<br>**_A clipped voice shouted her name over the music.  
>"Aria wants to see you, now," Anto shouted, beckoning her to follow.<em><strong><br>"Don't wanna touch you, but you're under my skin (deep in)"  
><strong>_The meeting with the self-proclaimed Queen of Omega was little more than an informal 'chat' that had a suspiciously _friendly_ edge to it._**  
>"I wanna kiss you, but your lips are venomous poison"<br>**_As Shepard turned to leave, Aria called out to her.  
>"You should find a nice young man to keep you warm at night... I hear drell are particularly gifted."<p>

_**"You're poison runnin through my veins"**_  
>Shaking her head, Shepard returned down the stairs to the ground floor bar only to be greeted by Joker offering her a familiar looking drink.<em><strong><br>"You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains"  
><strong>_The pilot looked like he was up to something.  
>"Kasumi said it was your favourite, that you couldn't get enough of the taste," her de facto brother said, giving er a cheeky smile.<em><strong><br>"Poison"  
><strong>_"You could say that," Shepard laughed, a lop-sided smirk playing on her lips.  
><em><strong><br>"One look (one look), could kill (could kill),"**_  
>A flash of familiar green scales entered her peripheral.<br>Turning, Shepard saw Thane's Onyx eyes appraising her figure. Her heart skipped a beat, the drell looked every bit the predator at that moment. _**  
>"My pain, your thrill."<br>**_She raised her distinctive shaped Martini glass in a toast to the assassin letting her lips ease into a devilish smile.

_**"I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)"**_  
>Turning away, Shepard placed her empty glass on the bar.<em><strong><br>"I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop"  
><strong>_Against her better judgement, she signalled the turian bartender to mix her another Weeping Heart._**  
>"I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much)"<br>**_Fresh drink in hand, she made a conscious effort to walk away from the tempting drell who stood mere feet away from her. Hips moving with an exaggerated sway, she pushed her way through the crowd to a table that had been appropriated by the ladies of the Normandy._**  
>"I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison"<br>**_Tali eyed Shepard's cocktail in an all-too-knowing way.  
>"I believe it's an acquired taste," the young quarian slurred, evidently already feeling the effects of the turian brandy that had once filled the machinist's glass.<p>

Shepard smiled, "If you don't pace yourself sister-of-mine, you won't been able to find the slot for _your emergency induction port_."

_**"You're poison runnin through my veins"**_  
>With a contented sigh, she drained her own glass. <em><strong><br>"You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains"  
><strong>_She closed her eyes momentarily, enjoying the sweet buzz as the alcohol coursed through her body._**  
>"Poison"<br>**_Only for them to open in surprise at the sound of a glass being deposited in front of her.

_**"I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch)"**_  
>An almost familiar turian face entered her vision.<br>"Compliments of her _lady_ship," Grizz chuckled, his mandibles flaring in a close approximation to a grin, as Shepard eyed the glass dubiously. _**  
>"I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop"<br>**_She laughed. Shepard had no real clue as to what and why _everyone _seemed to be plotting.  
><em><strong>"I wanna kiss you, but I wanna too much (too much)"<br>**_But it appeared to have something to do with getting her hooked on drell venom._**  
>"I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison"<br>**_Though truth be told, the Commander had already acquired an appreciation for the taste and was hardly effected by the hallucinogens anymore.

_**"Yeah"**_  
>When and how the group of women decided it was a good idea to invade the dance floor, Shepard couldn't say.<em><strong><br>"Well I don't wanna break these chains"  
><strong>_Though, to her satisfaction, they'd managed to coerce the majority of the male crew to join them in the debacle. Unfortunately, the three stooges of Garrus, Grunt and Zaeed had seemingly hung on to the bar for dear life._**  
>"Poison"<br>**_Glancing around the press of bodies, Shepard noticed there was a drell-shaped figure distinctly missing from the round up.

_**"Runnin' deep inside my veins"**_  
>Without warning, strong hands pulled her flush against a toned, leather clad body.<em><strong><br>"Burnin' deep inside my veins"  
><strong>_Desire flushed her body as her lips found his._**  
>"Poison"<br>**_Shepard found him intoxicating._**  
>"I don't wanna break these chains<strong>_**"  
><strong>And Thane was an addiction she _fully_ intended to keep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Inspired by the Alice Cooper song 'Poison' & it's Groove Coverage cover. Dedicated to Brandischoch.


	7. Leaving - A Note to My Readers

Due to the recent intellectual property theft from this site (February 2016) and FanFic's failure to do anything to protect content creators, I wanted to inform my readers that I will transferring all of my works to Archive of Our Own. You will find me under: GarnetSeren when you go to search, then people.

During this process, I will be editing the stories as I go. So they may not be fully up to date for a few weeks, if you decide to continue to follow them over on AO3. Also, certain oneshots such as 'Okasan' will be made part of a collection called 'Shepard's Men'. Curretly I am working on my Mass Effect fic; This One's Heart is Pure (as it has the most chapters), then I will move on to my Dragon Age stories.

I hope that you will continue to follow my work over on AO3. Though if you decide not to, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support over the two years I have been posting to FanFic. It's meant the world to me & I will greatly miss interacting with you all. My stories will remain active on this site in their current state, until the end of March, when they will be deleted. By then I should have the majority moved over to AO3. For anyone who will be joining myself over there, I look forward to talking to you again soon.


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